Hello Readers!

I hope you’re ready for an out of the box read! A semester-long assignment for my reader’s advisory class is to broaden my bookish horizons, so I’ve been tasked with reading genres I’m not used to or comfortable with.

Naturally, I started with romance.

Today I’m reviewing The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

While I’ve seen the film adaptation several times and enjoyed it, romance simply isn’t my go to, so I took a leap of faith and gave this book a shot. Did I enjoy it? Keep on reading to find out!

Blurb

Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast begins the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned from the Second World War. Noah is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories…until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again.

Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments and the fundamental changes that affect us all. It is a story of miracles and emotions that will stay with you forever.

GoodReads

Amazon

***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

I haven’t read a novel primarily categorized as romance in quite a long time, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this read.

In this book, we follow the romance between Noah and Allie, two ambitious young individuals who share a summer that changes their lives. Viewing their past, present, and future, this tale explores the trials and tribulations of a life-long romance and its rewards.

I really didn’t know what to expect, not being much of a fan of romance, but this was a great book. What I liked most about it was the balance that Sparks writing provided. My assumption was that this book would focus almost exclusively on the two main characters, their romance, and their feelings towards one another.

However, Sparks did a great job of finding balance by giving us bits about the outside world. There were nods to the eras the characters found themselves in throughout their lives, and that gave the novel extra dimension.

The writing itself was well executed. In most spots it was simple and easy to read, then at times it would get poetic, but never too much that it drew me out of the story.

Noah and Allie’s connection was strong, and Sparks did a good job of giving us information in different ways to avoid info dumping. We’d glean information about their early days together through memories, dialogue, and limited telling, and that was a perfect mix for me.

This story also allowed me a closer look at Alzheimer’s disease, primarily what it can look like and how it can affect individuals. Having not interacted with someone suffering from this disease, I really valued the bits of knowledge Sparks gave.

Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and how well it was executed. Whether you’re a fan of romance or not, I highly suggest giving this book a try to broaden your horizons.

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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